On 28 May 2013, The Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) released a briefing paper on Russia’s strategy towards the crisis in Syrria titled “Responsibility to protect... itself?”, written by Marek Menkiszak, Head of the Russian Department, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) and Visiting Researcher at FIIA.

Despite attempts to present itself as a neutral force, Russia de facto supported Syrian President

Bashar al-Assad’s regime by both political and military means. Moscow’s main goal was to defend

the regime against the pressure to relinquish power to the opposition, and also to deter any

attempt at a Western/Arab military intervention in Syria.

Various factors have influenced Russia’s strategy towards the Syrian crisis. Among them are

concern over strategic and economic interests in Syria as the last symbolic outpost of Russian

influence in the Middle East, as well as a fear of the consequences of a regional imbalance, involving

the spread of Islamic radicalism, spilling over to Russia itself. Obviously, the Western military